We’ve been involved in the design, development, and implementation of enterprise-level software for over 20 years, which is why our team of experts put together this 10-part series on evaluating Enterprise-level software. We’ll cover topics ranging from security, data collection and reporting requirements, implementation resources, pricing/cost models, and more, to ensure your next enterprise software deployment is a success. You can also download the entire Evaluating Enterprise-level Software whitepaper here. _____________________________________Last week we looked at the importance of discovering whether the new enterprise software you’re considering can be used for multiple purposes. Does the solution you’re evaluating meet these requirements? Let’s move on to the reporting capabilities of the software you’re evaluating for your organization. Without a doubt, one of the most important factors to evaluate when considering enterprise-level software is reporting. Are you buying into a solution that has fabulous data entry options, a slick user interface, and end-user bells and whistles – but that has limited capability to report the data you have collected?Beware – all software solutions are not created equal and one of the most important factors to consider is whether the solution will provide you – and all users in your business – with the data they need to actually improve compliance, performance, and risk management.Consider the following when it comes to your reporting requirements:
Can you create user-specific dashboards for your own metrics, analytics, and graphs or do you have to rely on canned/set reports?
Can you report across all audit/inspection data (regardless of where it was in the business it was entered) to get key metrics for your entire business in one view?
Does the solution include business intelligence (i.e. Microsoft PowerBI, Tableau, etc.) analytics tool or do you have to export data or use external third-party reporting tools to generate the aggregated enterprise-level metrics, analytics, and reports you will need?
Does the solution allow for enterprise-wide data roll up and drill through reporting? Can you report enterprise-level metrics, analytics, and reporting by:
Site (e.g. location, project, store, lab, facility, etc.)
Site Groups (e.g. Business Units, Divisions, Regions, etc.) User
User Groups (e.g. Safety Managers, Contractors, Shifts, etc.)
If the many reporting tools don’t provide what you need, or you have unique/custom reporting requirements, can (and will) the solution provider create custom reports for you?
Does the solution offer automated report subscription services that can email reports to those who are not licensed (or regular) users of the system (i.e. Executive Managers, C-level team members, etc.)?
Next week, we’ll continue our series on evaluating enterprise software by exploring the language requirements of your business.
Certainty Software is a proven solution for any audit/inspection based performance improvement program in virtually all sectors of the economy from global Fortune 500 multinationals in food manufacturing to leading national companies in the hospitality sector.
